I think Ruth Marcus and Ross are probably right that Senator Vitter should resign. But I think there’s a lot more gray area than Ross is allowing for. He writes: “If a politician were caught with his name on the ‘call list’ of a prominent drug dealer, he wouldn’t be able to wriggle out of it by admitting to a ‘serious sin’ and leaving it at that.” Sure, that’s probably true. But I think he could get away with admitting to the equivalent of a “serious sin” in our secular culture: He could admit that he’s seeking treatment for his addiction. That’s pretty much what Patrick Kennedy did , and plenty of others too. Also, nobody is unclear about what Vitter did or what he’s admitting to when he committed a “serious sin.” No one thinks he was copping to violating the sabbath or failing to honor his mother and father. I think these sorts of things need to be viewed in context, and from what I can tell from the context, Vitter should go. But I can certainly imagine a one-time mistake or lapse by a politician not rising to the level of requiring resignation.